Brooder.



RB. POSTON'.

BROODEB.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 18, 1910.-

981 ,942. y Patented Jan. 17, 1911,

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E. B. POSTON. BROODER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 18, 1910. I

Patented Jan 17,1911.

' 2 BHEETB-BHEET 2.

TINT

EMORY E. POSTON, 0F CAMPBELL, CALIFORNIA.

BROODER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

Application filed May 18, 1910. Serial No. 562,001.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMORY E. POSTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Campbell, in the county of Santa Clara and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBrooders, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to brooders and has for its primary object toprovide a brooder which is so constructed that the necessity foremploying lamps or other artificial heating means is eliminated.

A further object is to provide a brooder of simple and inexpensiveconstruction employing novel means for hovering the chicks and which isat all times thoroughly ventilated.

WVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of abrooder constructed in accordance with my invention, one of the topsections and hovering boards being raised; Fig. 2 is a transversesection; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-% of Fig. 2; and Fig.41 is a detail section taken on the line 4. 1 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 5 indicates the side wallsof the brooder which are preferably arranged upon a suit able flooring6. The lower longitudinal edges of each of the side walls are cut awaybetween their ends as shown at 7 to form air spaces. The end walls 8 areof similar form and their upper edges are inclined from the oppositeside walls 5. The center of each of the end walls is formed with anextension 9, the edges of which are also inclined. Upon these inclinededges of the extensions 9 the cover boards 10 are arranged. These boardsmay be secured to the end walls 8 or removably arranged thereon asdesired. The top of the brooder proper is formed in two sectionsdesignated by the numeral 11. These sections are hingedly arranged uponthe inclined upper edges of the end walls 8. Bars 12 rigidly connect theend walls and hold the same in spaced relation. These bars are eachformed with a short transverse recess 13 to receive the extensions 9 ofthe end walls, and to these bars the cover sections 11 are hinged. Thecover boards 10 it will be noted extend some distance beyond theextensions 9 and between the edges of these boards and the bars 12 airis admitted to the interior of the brooder.

Centrally secured to the inner face of each of the end walls is avertical cleat 1 1 which is formed with a longitudinallyextendingV-shaped groove 15. These grooves receive the V-shaped ends of a centralpartition 16 which is removably arranged between said end walls. Thusthe brooder is divided into two separate compartments, and it will beunderstood that as each of these compartments are similarly constructed,my invention may be embodied in one such section, so that the partitionwall 16 will form one side of the brooder.

A cleat 17 is secured to each of the side walls 5 and to the end walls.These cleats support the hovering boards 18 and may be removed andsecured upon the sides and ends of the brooder as the chicks grow andincrease in size. The brooder boards are provided upon their under sideswith hanging feathers 19. Turkey feathers are preferably employed asthey have been found more suitable for the purpose and are considerablylonger than chicken feathers. It will be noted that the inner edges ofthe boards 18 are disposed upon the side edges of the vertical cleats 14secured to the end walls 8 whereby a space is provided between the edgesof said boards and the central partition 16. Thus the air entering thetop of the brooder beneath the cover boards 10 may pass through theupper portion of the brooder and between the partition and the hoveringboards into the lower section of the brooder where the chicks arehoused, such. air current thoroughly permeating the feathers and thusproviding proper ventilation whereby the air is relieved of germs andother harmful influences.

In each end wall 8 of the brooder, a window 20 is arranged. Thesewindows are disposed slightly above the ground surface and provide lightto the interior of the structure so that the chicks are attracted by thesame and they are thus prevented from congregating in one place so thatthe warmth from their bodies may be equally distributed throughout thebrooding compartments. In each side wall 5 of the brooder a door 21 isarranged so that the chicks may be let out when desired.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided an extremely simpleand inexpensive brooder whereby the necesslty for employing alcohollamps or other artificial heating means is rendered unnecessary.

lVhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that the same is susceptible of manyminor modifications without departing from the essential features orsacrificing any of the advantages thereof. For instance, the hinged topsection 11 of the brooder may be made of glass. Either one or both ofthese sections may be so constructed if desired and the centralpartition 16 may be provided with a door so that the chicks may freelypass from one compartment to the other when the same is open.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. A device ofthe character described comprising parallel end and side walls, hingedtop sections arranged on said walls, a central partition arrangedbetween the end walls, hovering boards arranged between the end and sidewalls and spaced from said partition, a cover arranged above the topsection supported on the end walls and providing an air inlet spaceabove said top section whereby air may flow below the hovering boardsupon either side of the central partition, and a plurality of tufts offeathers depending from the under side of each of said boards.

2. A device of the character described comprising end and side walls, acentral partition removably arranged between the end walls, top sectionshingedly supported upon the end walls, inclined cover boards supportedby the end walls above the top sections and providing an air inlet spacebetween the same and said partition, cleats secured to the end and sidewalls, and hover- In climates walls, inclined cover boards arrangedupoir the extensions of the end walls and spaced from said top sectionsto provide an air inlet opening, a central partition removably arrangedbetween the end walls, and hovering boards supported upon the side andend j walls, the inner edges of said boards being spaced from thecentral partition, each of said boards carrying a plurality of dependingtufts of feathers.

4. A device of the character described comprising parallel side and endwalls, said side walls having their lower edges cut away between theirends to provide air outlet openings, a vertical cleat centrally securedto the inner faces of each of the end walls and provided with alongitudinal V-shaped groove, a partition wall removably engaged in saidgrooves, each of said end walls being formed with a vertical extension,parallel members rigidly connecting said end walls each provided with arecess adjacent to each of its ends,to receive the extensions of the endwalls, a top section hinged to each of said members engaged upon theupper edges of the end walls and extending beyond the side walls,inclined cover boards secured to the extensions spaced from said topsections to provide an air passage, cleats secured to the side and endwalls, hovering boards supported by said cleats, the inner edges of saidboards engaging with the vertical cleats secured to the end walls tospace said boards from the partition, a plurality of tufts of dependingfeathers being secured to each of said boards, a door arranged in eachof the side walls, and a window in each of the end walls.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

EMORY E. POSTON.

\Vitnesses:

L. GENAscI, WV. M. BESOHERER.

